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$400-500 Edgestar 12/120V replacement fridge
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jfarsang
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:52 pm    Post subject: $400-500 Edgestar 12/120V replacement fridge Reply with quote

I've been hunting high and low for the past year for a replacement fridge in our westy and to put a permanent fridge in our Delica.

At first I was going to go with an Engle or ARB 45L but then the price put me off. Just couldn't justify it.

I came across this fridge on expedition portal and spoke with a few people who have used them overlanding. Feedback was good and it's considered a great bang for the buck to have a permanent fridge that doesn't suck much juice and keeps everything cool or frozen.

I bought mine at livingdirect.com which is a sister co. of compactappliance.com

They are made in Texas (Edgestar) and here's the link :

http://www.edgestar.com/products/fridgefreeze/fp430.asp


Both have outstanding customer service and warranty.

Here's my little review since we just came back from a short trip with lots of offroading, highway miles logged at temps below freezing and above 40 celcius.

Quote:
Took a week off and went for a road trip with the lady.

Temps ranged from 30 to 104 *F.

Up here in the Pacific northwest, we get it all.

We went from Vancouver, BC to Kelowna to Banff, AB at 30 and snow and crossed over to the Fraser canyon off 100 mile house where it hit a steady 104.

During the whole trip, the Edgestar (45 version) worked great. Set it to 35 and it hovered between 36-37 the whole time. Bought some fresh pie and wine and loved the idea of just tossing it into the fridge as we went along.

We did some nice offroading where I had to air down to 10psi to make the climb and that thing was bouncing everywhere. Never stopped working.

Three thumbs up. Green Bus Orange Bus Blue Bus

Thread that started it all :

Cheap Fridge <$400 shipped

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23350

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jfarsang
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Review by another person

http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=65918

Quote:
After dealing with standard coolers, melting ice and soggy food under less than ideal methods of refrigeration while on the trail and camping, I decided it was time to spring for a portable electric Freezer/Fridge. I had heard about the EdgeStar fridge on another forum and the folks that had been using that brand were quite happy with the product. I did some research on my own and found that the EdgeStar brand of products are from Texas and built in China. They are assembled with high-quality parts and have a good reputation.

The size I opted for holds 43 Quarts and will hold 60, 12 oz cans. It's the smallest EdgeStar portable freezer/fridge, Model# Model FP430. (Other options are 63 Quarts and 86 Quarts.) It's a bit on the large size, but once you get it loaded with food and drinks for a few days, the size becomes quite welcome. The outer dimensions are as follows-

Height: 20.8
Width: 24.7
Depth: 17.7

Weight is 45 lbs.
Pics for reference-

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The EdgeStar is built with quality hardware, a spring-loaded carrying handle on each side, a pair of heavy duty hinges, a spring-loaded locking latch and a couple of wire baskets for placing food items into. The baskets are very handy, as you can load your food into them without having to take the fridge out of the vehicle. There are also 2 drain plugs, one on the inside and one on the outside, for defrosting and cleaning out the inside of the fridge.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


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The EdgeStar freezer/fridge has 2 power plugs, one for 12v or 24v DC power from a vehicle (by way of a plug for your cigarette lighter)and another for household power with a 115v AC plug for home use. Using 12V power, the unit draws 4.5 Amps. It is very quiet, I rarely hear it kick on and off. If we're traveling, the noise from the vehicle will drown out and noise the freezer/fridge may be making. If you stand right next to it, you will hear it the compressor and fan turn on and off, but even right next to it, the sounds are minimal.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The temperature control panel on the side is simple, yet allows some good options. The freezer/fridge has a operating range from -8* to 50* Fahrenheit. It also has a Fast Freeze option, which will quickly bring the temperature down to -8* when you need to quickly freeze food. You can set your desired temperature with the control panel. I've been setting it at 38*, because the temperature will fluctuate up and down a few degrees as the fridge kicks on and off and temps in the car change.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The case of the freezer/fridge is very well insulated, it will maintain the internal temperature for several hours without power. I've been impressed with how cool food stayed over night after being unplugged. One of the neat features is that the EdgeStar will shut off if the battery is run down too far. If the battery dips below 10.4V, the freezer/fridge will shut off. Once power is restored to the battery, the EdgeStar won't turn back on until after reaching 11.8V.

With the freezer/fridge plugged in safely at home, I did some tests to see how long I could run the fridge and still start the vehicle. I let the EdgeStar run overnight and attempted to start my FJ80 24 hrs later. It fired right up without a problem. I shut it off quickly, so as to not fully recharge the battery. I let the vehicle sit for another 24 hrs and tried again... 48 hrs with the fridge running and not letting the battery charge and the engine turned over normally and fired right up.

After 72 hrs, the freezer/fridge was registering low voltage and no longer maintaining the temperature. The indicator light on the side was flashing yellow, indicating the low power. The digital temperature display still functioned, but showed the increasing temp. I'm very pleased that the freezer/fridge will run for 48 hours without draining the battery and preventing the vehicle from starting! These tests were conducted using a Orbital dry cell battery.


cont..

Quote:
Here's the freezer/fridge loaded into my FJ80, so you can get a better idea of the size.-

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I've been using the EdgeStar for several months and a handful of trips and it has been one of the best additions I've made to our vehicle. It's very nice to have cold food and drinks after a couple days out on the trail. Keeping perishables cold means eating good while away from home! The one complaint I have is the short 12v power cord. It comes with a 6' cord, which wasn't long enough to reach the power plug in the dash. After some wire cutting and crimping, I added additional wire to reach from the back where the fridge is mounted, to the power plug in the dashboard.

One of the many ways we're excited to use it is while fishing in Baja... we can freeze our catch and keep it fresh for the long drive home after the trip. I haven't tried it yet, but I hear ice cream is the best during a hot day on the trail. I'm quite pleased and would easily buy one again. I paid $380 from CompactAppliance.com when it was on sale. Normal price is $400.


Here's a link to the EdgeStar and the 43 Quart cooler for all specs-

http://www.edgestar.com/products/fridgefreeze/fp430.asp


After a recent search, it looks like this model may be out of production. If you are interested in purchasing one, I'd recommend contacting EdgeStar directly, or Compact Appliance, as they are the official vendor.

I cannot comment on how the EdgeStar compares to the ARB freezer/fridge or the Engel, as I have not owned either before. I would hope that the EdgeStar is comparable, but only time will tell if this is truly a quality product.

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madspaniard
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh man, that is a beautiful Delica, great pictures, super neat!
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jfarsang
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

follow up

It's dead quite when it runs. We can't hear it run if we're sleeping up top in the westy. Huge plus for the lady as she was complaining with our truckfridge one before.

Duty cycle/ah rate is very low. I set it at 37 and it only hovers give or take 1-2 degrees regardless of outside ambient temps.

With the fridge full, I could only hear it cycle maybe 6 times yesterday throughout the day. Barely sips any mah from the house battery.

This is a great alternative to the ARB and Engel fridges.
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jfarsang
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

250+ views and not a single comment on the fridge.

We have 4 westies locally running the edgestars now. Must be a canadian thing. Confused
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tried to research some on the fridge but was not able to find alot other than what was posted. Looks like a good for the price, it's type and generation.

Did stumble onto the new ARB refer that looks really nice but than it's at a different price point Wink

http://www.myfjcruiser.org/1575/arb-fridge-freezer/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvt6XsZiad0
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

forget the fridge, I want your Delica!!!
that thing is BAD AZZ. It reminds me of my "Stomper" trucks from childhood!
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jfarsang
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tomnglo wrote:
Tried to research some on the fridge but was not able to find alot other than what was posted.


Very Happy Here you go. Real world experience from others :

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23350
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squeegee_boy
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jfarsang wrote:
250+ views and not a single comment on the fridge.

We have 4 westies locally running the edgestars now. Must be a canadian thing. Confused


Soon to be 5 Smile My vitrofrigo is awesome, but not big enough for a family of 4 for a week if we're somewhere remote.

Thanks for this info! I was also thinking of an Engel, but they're hundreds more than what I consider reasonable Smile

Robyn
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Engel units are very nice. If the Edgestar has the same performance for less money then this is a no braier. I have one of those new 12v/110v fridges but if my family grows to 2 or more kids I'll end up buying one of these removable fridges to add more cooling room to my westy.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got this email from compact appliance today.

63 qt Edgestar fridge/freezer for only $419 shipped. Open box product but you can't beat that price!
I love my 63 qt, wouldn't be without it. Holds enough food for an entire week, or beer for half that time!!

http://www.openboxdirect.com/FP630-Spacious-EdgeSt...Appliances
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We love ours, so far. Quiet and easy on the battery.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anybody measure the current draw?

I do not see the spec in the manual.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see an obvious way to secure it to the floor of the van...have to add D rings or something to keep it in place on rough roads, accident, etc. Looks nice though.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

FNGRUVN wrote:
We love ours, so far. Quiet and easy on the battery.


DITTO here. One of the best mods yet. Wife LOVES it, even after the sticker shock of a fridge and a 2nd deep cycle battery setup.
"Worth every penny" was the quote.

I got a open box/scratch & dent 43qt.

I have some tie downs to bolt into the van, then it'll be nice and secure. It is heavy enough (esp with food packed) to hold tight most of the time, but a 'locked and low' hill climb last weekend jostled it enough to move it a foot or so.
I will go around the fridge with a strap, though the handles. I would NOT use the handles alone (as pictured in the back of a truck above) I don't think those handles are that strong.

I also hard wired the 12v line so I don't use the plug that sits in the walk way - that would NOT last long as you WILL step on it repeatedly. Mine routes internal around the compressor and pops out the back side. Slick.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

r39o wrote:
Anybody measure the current draw?

I do not see the spec in the manual.


Mine is 5.1 amps at start up and decreases after that for 15 to 20 minute cycles
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tarandusVDub wrote:
I don't see an obvious way to secure it to the floor of the van...have to add D rings or something to keep it in place on rough roads, accident, etc. Looks nice though.


This how I have mine secured to the floor.
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One on each side
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Timwhy wrote:
r39o wrote:
Anybody measure the current draw?

I do not see the spec in the manual.


Mine is 5.1 amps at start up and decreases after that for 15 to 20 minute cycles

Peak current is 2.5A / 35 Qt and 3.6 / 64 Qt on the Engel (depending on model,) via spec and what people say.

Some models lower and some higher. Bigger is higher, but not 5.1 A for any of them, I read.

Supposed to be as little as 700ma.

i have to measure as my Engel just got here.

How low does it go?
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Last edited by r39o on Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:59 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Timwhy wrote:

This how I have mine secured to the floor.
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seat belt for the jumpseat won't reach?
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tarandusVDub wrote:
I don't see an obvious way to secure it to the floor of the van...have to add D rings or something to keep it in place on rough roads, accident, etc. Looks nice though.


The edgestar feet can be modified to work in an Engel transit slide lock - a couple folks on expeditionportal have done it.

I'm building a ~6" drawer/box with roughly the same footprint as my 43qt edgestar. Strorage box will mount where my "factory" weekender fridge mounted behind the front passenger seat, and I plan to "bolt through" the top of my box into the threaded foot-holes in the fridge. Not as quick as the engel slide lock, but it should look clean when all is said and done. I can also use the extra storage underneath the fridge.

If the fridge is full, cold, and you keep it closed it has minimal draw - I set it to OF when driving, then 35F when the engine is off... it only draws ~0.7amp at the beginning, then 1.5 amp after a couple hours on a hot summer day in the shade as things start to warm up. I have not started it full and warm.

One common problem with the edgestar - the supplied 12v plug is a bit flimsy. I did a preemptive fix - rewired a quick connect in place of the cigarette-lighter end. Works great and is less bulky.

Regards,
Joe
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